One Picture, Several views.

I've recently started playing with images and coloring in a computer program. I'm still one that enjoys the original looks to photos, but it's new to me so I'm still mesmerized with the different looks. And with that, thought it would be something to share with you.

The image I was playing with was a bouquet of stargazer lilies I had taken a while back. (They are one of my favorite flowers.) I took a few different pictures but figured this one would work best for seeing the difference with the petals in different filters and adjustments.

We'll start with the original image so you have something to compare to:

Adjust hue, contrast, & brightness:

I played with the hue, contrast, and brightness to give the flowers a purple cast. (A favorite color of mine) But I was surprised at how much I could adjust the petal color.

Now lets get to different filters.

Filter - Dark Strokes:

I think this is one of my favorite filters with these flowers. It darkens and shadows the background but keeps the color of the petals crisp with a darkness to them as well.

Filter - Distortion - Diffuse Glow:

Ah. This image reminded me of a soft edging and glow to everything. Fuzzy in a way. If only it could glow in the dark...

Filter - Film Grain:

This one caught my eye because all is the same yet there is a soft feel to the petals.

Filter - Fresco:

I think this is the next best thing to the Dark Strokes filter. It's not as harsh in the darkness yet the feel is still there. Another favorite.

Gradient Map - Copper:

And, of course, because I can. It's completely out of the ordinary but gives such a different look to the image. Not one I would normally pick, but with playing around, I had to share it.

Desaturate:

So many pictures go with the gray look, so thought I'd try it as well. It's hard to pick the petals from the background, but they are there. I do think this arrangement looks better with color though.

There are so many different things you can do to images with programs now. These are the drastic changes, some are slight differences to touch up the photos (which is more what I prefer if I use anything).

I guess it all depends on your preference and what look you are going for.

Do you have a favorite extreme here? Let me know!

The Palace, Bad Boy Blues Band

I have been wanting to get out and take public pictures. I've taken the first step. Thursday July 14th, The Palace Theater in Greensburg, Pennsylvania had a free concert. (They are doing a series of free concerts through July and August. Cool, right!) So I took the opportunity to scoop up my camera and venture out for music and atmosphere.

I think usually these concerts are in the courtyard outside The Palace Theater, but this night it was inside with the threat of rain. But that was perfectly fine in my book. I took some pictures of the amazing theater and sharing those here with you today.


Entering!

I had to take a picture of these lovelies. I noticed above the board of movie posters there was a little family of doves. Mom sat watching as the babies were cleaning up for the crowd visiting.

I felt like the open doors were inviting and I was a special guest to the theater.

The marble! Oh my! It's magnificent. The banister and steps were gorgeous. 

Upstairs was a beautiful balcony equipped with tables, small bars, and a great view of the entrance. The chandelier sparkled it's beauty across the room.

In to the concert! The band this evening was Bad Boy Blues Band. They had a blues-y feel mixed with classic rock. They were relaxing to listen to. There were chairs and tables set up on and below stage to give a personal feel to the evening. There was food and drinks being served as well! Nice way to relax on a Thursday.

Then I left, feeling relaxed and with some beautiful pictures of The Palace. I look forward to making another trip to listen to the bands and take more pictures.

All the pictures are done with the resident lighting inside. No flash was used. Next time I go, I would like to take pictures inside with a flash, to see the difference.

Action Shots 1: In the Air...

As I mentioned in my welcome post, I LOVE action shots. This is something I've done for the last few years with track and football, and even more events with the family. So today, I'm going to share an untouched photos of the high jump from 2013. It's like watching a slow movie with the slides.

Action shots can be a struggle to take. I've taken many that are out of focus as the camera picked a different spot than I to focus on. It happens when moving quick. But the more I took, the better I got at knowing what focal point is picked on my camera and ready for that spellbinding moment. (Yes, I'm that person with the camera glued to my eye at events, waiting.)

I have many photos just like these. These pictures are from before I knew of different programs to touch them up and fade out the backgrounds. But, I like the background as it gives the feel of the whole essence of the time and event.

One thing I'll probably repeat through out this blog on posts is something I've learned is extremely important: 
   NEVER stop clicking. You never know what you'll get in those moments after the first shoot you are looking for. Sometimes, those are the pictures I love most as they are the raw moments that speak the loudest words.

How do you feel about action shots? Love them or struggle with them?






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Welcome!

I want to welcome you to Spellbound in a Flash. Welcome!! And let you know what you'll find here.

Not only do I enjoy reading and creating worlds in words but I also enjoy taking pictures of our world. The world of people, nature, and more. I've been tossing the idea of a photo blog around for a while now, probably about a year or so.

The hobby of photography came about with my son. As he grew I started taking pictures, like many caring parents. But then he started sports and I wanted a "better" camera to catch those long shots on film. My loving husband gave me the best Christmas gift I could ask for. An amazing digital camera to catch those shots I was missing.

I've been capturing those moments for years now. I LOVE action shots with kiddo and our pets. But the hobby has grown to more than that. The other kids on the team wanted their picture too, several kids. So I was snapping away at football games and practices. I've taken family pictures for friends and family along with wedding pictures too. It's really expanding and I want to keep going with what has started to evolve.

I've finally had a creative flash with a title for the blog. So now it's time to get to working at sharing.

So, what will I post? Basically, pictures. I'll try to post a frame or two once a week (probably on weekends) from my catalog of photographs. I'll also share new images as I want to get out and about more and take recent pictures of the cities and nature around me. I'm wanting to experiment with different lighting and scenery and nature shots, getting to know my camera better and share my results here.

What will the pictures be of? About anything from family to pets, nature and landscapes. Anything is fair game. I plan to update the blog with labels of the posts shared for easier access.

I hope you enjoy all I have to share with you!

Now, it's time to become spellbound in a flash...